Advanced Placement Biology: Narrative: Through this course, you will study biology at a higher level than the pre-ap biology course you have taken previously. This course is recommended for those students who have high interest in biological topics ranging from the medical field to environmental studies. Your study will begin with macromolecules scaffolding your knowledge to a whole picture understanding of ecological concepts. Each unit of study will include an integration of the following themes: science as a process, evolution, energy transfer, continuity and change, relationships to structure and function, regulation, interdependence in nature and science, technology, and society. Although the content may change from the molecular level to whole organism study, these themes will be highlighted in each unit. Some examples of how these themes will be studied follow: Science as a process is seen in the methods scientists have experimented or tested possible hypothesis and supported by factual evidence. Evolution will be studied in separate chapters as well as throughout each unit. This includes the evolution or change of understanding over time, micro-evolution through embryonic development, as well as macro-evolution moving from one species to another. Energy Transfer is seen not only in food chains or life cycles on the organismal level but also the energy needed for cellular processes to continue to support the whole organism. Continuity and change because change is essential to maintain diversity and survival of a species. There are aspects of biology that must remain constant for the continuation of populations throughout the earth. Relationships to structure and function are studied from each aspect of biology, whether it is macromolecule structure and its function within a chemical reaction to the development of an animal s digestive tract and the nutritional needs of that animal. Regulation can be seen in the methods organisms and processes maintain homeostasis. Interdependence in nature is simply observed by the symbiosis plants have with nitrogen fixing bacteria. Not only are you looking at two organisms but also cycles that occur in nature to benefit organisms. Science, Technology, and Society has flourished in your life time. Through science and technology, not only have our lives become more automatic, but also the investigation of genetics in our criminal system, the understanding of genetic disorders, and the changes to farming procedures have greatly changed our society. There is also a lab portion of the course. There are twelve College Board required labs which include the following: (1) diffusion and osmosis, (2) Enzyme Catalysis, (3) Mitosis and Meiosis, (4) Plant Pigments and Photosynthesis, (5) Cellular Respiration, (6) Molecular Biology, (7) Genetics, (8) Population Genetics, (9) Whole Plant Transpiration, (10) Physiology of the Circulatory System, (11) Animal Behavior, (12) Dissolved Oxygen and Aquatic Primary Productivity. You will find additional labs that we will cover throughout the syllabus. These labs will incorporate previously learned material from biology courses, physical science courses, chemistry courses as well as an integration of technology. Average: Your grade will be weighted by test, daily, and lab reports. Test grades will count as fifty percent of your total average. Tests grades will include research projects, research papers, and chapter tests. Daily work will count as thirty percent of your total average. Daily grades will homework, quizzes, and in-class assignments. Lab reports will count as twenty percent of your total average. Lab reports will include a type written report that highlights the following: Hypothesis Control Group or Baseline Independent Variable
Dependent Variable Constants Data analysis of experiment (with the appropriate graph) Conclusion (discussion of accepting or rejecting hypothesis based upon findings) Quizzes: Each week you will have a minimum of one quiz over the homework and in-class assignments. These quizzes will include questions in an AP style multiple choice format, short answer, or essay. Projects and Research Paper: During each nine weeks, you will be required to complete a research project or paper. All research papers or projects will include a bibliography page that is type written in 12 point font, Times New Roman, and MLA format. Other requirements of the paper or project will be included in the assignment and rubric. Semester Exam: Your semester exam will be comprehensive and will include 100 multiple choice questions and 2 essays. This exam will be in comparison of your AP biology exam. The type of questioning will include themes of biology. It is essential that you learn the units we cover from varying view points and degrees of application. Complete Bibliography: 1. Berthelsen, Barbara. AP Biology Multiple-Choice & Free Response Questions in Preparation for the AP Biology Examination, 4e. United States. D&S Marketing Systems, Inc. 2001 2. Campbell, Neil and Reece, Jane. AP edition Biology 7e. San Francisco. Pearson Benjamin Cummings. 2005 3. Campbell and Reece. Preparing for the Biology AP Exam with Biology, Seventh Edition. San Francisco. Pearson. Benjamin Cummings. 2005. 4. Campbell Biology. Pearson/BenjaminCummings.com. 2004. February 12, 2007 http://occawlonline.personed.com/sms_files/campbell6e_aw/login.html>. 5. Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. Boston. Houghton Mifflin Company. 1962 6. Colborn, Theo. Et al Our Stolen Future. New York. Penguin Books, Ltd. 1997 7. College Board. Biology Lab Manual for students. United States. College Board. 2001 8. Vernier Software and Technology. Biology with Computers. United States. Vernier Software and Technology. 2003.
AP Biology Course Long Plan AP Biology Unit Text Chapter Activities & Assignments I. Molecules & Cells (completed the 1 st 9 weeks) A. Biological Chemistry 1. Water & Organic Molecules in organisms 2-5 chapter readings nutritional needs research assignment 2. Chemical Reactions, free energy changes & enzymes 8 chapter readings B. Cells 1. Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells 6 chapter readings 2. Structure and Function of Cell Membranes 7 chapter readings 3. Subcellular Organization 6 chapter readings organelle advertisement 4. Cell cycle (mitosis) and its regulation 12 chapter readings Design mitotic cell division action/story based upon learning C. Energy Transformation 1. ATP, energy transfer, coupled reactions, chemiosmosis style 8 chapter readings 2. Fermentation and Cellular Respiration 9 chapter readings analogous story Laboratories Macromolecule Identification lab Enzyme Catalysis (2) Gram staining Diffusion/Osmosis (1) Mitotic Division Identification in Plant Cells * Cell Respiration (5) - Vernier Sensors
3. Photosynthesis 10 chapter readings Plant Pigments & Photosynthesis lab (4) - Vernier Lab Pro II. Genetic and Evolution (completed the 2 nd 9 weeks) A. Molecular Genetics 1. RNA and DNA structure and function 16 chapter readings Reading of Historical Scientist Contributions - Griffith - Avery - McCarty - McLeod * Making Protein Activity 2. Eukaryotic chromosomal structure, nucleosome, transposable elements 15, 18 chapter readings 3. Regulation of gene expression 19 chapter readings 4. Mutation 16 chapter readings Research Paper using Historic References to genetic mutation 5. Nucleic acid technology and applications 20 chapter readings B. Heredity 1. Meiosis and gametogenesis 13 chapter readings Piecing together Karotypes with variations Make changes from Mitotic Action to Bacteria Transformation (6) Gel Electrophoresis (6)
appropriately represent Meiosis 2. Inheritance patterns 14, 15 chapter readings Monohybrid, Dihybrid crosses Case studies on inheritable diseases report 3. Chromosomes, genes, alleles, interactions 14,15 chapter readings C. Evolution 1. Origin of Life 26 chapter readings 2. Evidence for evolution 22, 26 chapter readings out of Africa Map and Research Paper 3. Mechanisms of Evolution 22,23, 24 III. Organisms and Populations (completed the 2 nd Semester) A. Principles of taxonomy and systematics, sixkingdom system 26 B. Survey of Monera, Protista, and Fungi, plants and animals including diversity, classification, and evolutionary relationships C. Plants 1. Structure and physiology of vascular plants 35, 36, 37 chapter readings chapter readings 27-34 chapter readings chapter readings pictorial summary of plant structures project 2. Reproduction, growth, and development 38 & 39 chapter readings * Chi Square Lab - corn analysis - M&M analysis Fruit Fly Lab (v) (7) - virtual lab Plant Structure Identification Lab
3. Response to the environment 39 chapter readings D. Animals 1. Structure and function of tissues, organs, and 40-45, chapter readings systems, and homeostasis 48, 49 2. Gametogenesis, fertilization, embryology, and 46, 47 chapter readings development 3. Response to the environment 51 chapter readings E. Ecology (review of summer project) 1. Population dynamics 50, 52 chapter readings 2. Communities and Ecosystems 53 chapter readings 3. Global Issues 54 chapter readings Assigned readings - Silent Spring - Our Stolen Future Whole Plant Transpiration (9) Physiology of the Circulatory System (10) Dissovled Oxygen and Aquatic Primary Productivity (12) - Vernier Senors Population Genetics (8) Animal Behavior (11) Text Chapters from: Biology 7e by Campbell & Reece
Laboratories Diffusion & Osmosis (1) Enzyme Catalysis (2) Mitosis & Meiosis (3) Laboratory Objectives Measure the water potential of a solution in a controlled experiment Determine the osmotic concentration of living tissue or an unknown solution from experimental data Describe the effects of water gain or loss in animal and plant cells Relate osmotic potential to solute concentration and water potential Measure the effects of changes of temperature, ph, enzyme concentration, and substrate concentration on reaction rates of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction in a controlled experiment Explain how environmental factors affect the rate of enzyme-catalyzed reactions Make a hypothesis and then evaluate the validity of that hypothesis based on collected data Recognize the stages of mitosis in a plant or animal cell Calculate the relative duration of the cell cycle stages Describe how independent assortment and crossing over can generate genetic variation among the products of meiosis Use chromosome models to demonstrate the activity of chromosomes during Meiosis I and Meiosis II Relate chromosome activity to Mendelian segregation and independent assortment Demonstrate the role of meiosis in the formation of gamete or spores in a controlled experiment using an organism of your choice Calculate the map distance of a particular gene from a chromosome's center for between two genes using an organism of your choice in a controlled experiment Compare and contrast the results of meiosis and mitosis in plant cells Compare and contrast the results of meiosis and mitosis in animal cells Lab time *Lab type 2 S 2 S 2 S
Laboratories ++Plant Pigments & Photosynthesis (4) Vernier Sensors ++Cell Respiration (5) Vernier Sensors ++Molecular Biology (6) Bio Rad Bacteria Transformation And Bio Rad Gel Electrophoresis (3 days for each lab at different times within the course) Genetics of Drosophila (7) Population Genetics (8) Laboratory Objectives Separate pigments and calculate their Rf values Describe a technique to determine photosynthetic rates Compare photosynthetic rates at different temperatures, different light intensities, and different wavelengths of light in a controlled experiment Explain why the rate of photosynthesis vary under different environmental conditions Students will design their own experiment using the information they have learned concerning photosynthesis to determine not only the rate of photosynthesis under different environment conditions but also determine if their plant would fall under a typical photosynthesis pattern or an alternative pathway. Test the effects of temperature on the rate of cell respiration in ungerminated versus germinated seeds in a controlled experiment Use a carbon dioxide gas sensor to measure the concentration of carbon dioxide Calculate the rate of cell respiration from experimental data Relate gas production to respiration rate Use plasmids as vectors to transform bacteria with a gene for antibiotic resistance in a controlled experiment Demonstrate how restriction enzymes are used in genetic engineering Use electrophoresis to separate DNA fragments Describe the biological process of transformation in bacteria Calculate transformation efficiency Be able to use multiple experimental controls Design a procedure to select positively for antibiotic resistant transformed cells Determine unknown DNA fragment sizes when given DNA fragments of known size Investigate the independent assortment of two genes and determine whether the two genes are autosomal or sex-linked using a multi-generation experiment Analyze the data from your genetic crosses chi-square analysis techniques Describe the different types of insect mating behaviors Calculate the frequencies of alleles and genotypes in the gene pool of a population using the Hardy-Weinberg formula Discuss natural selection and other causes of microevolution as deviations from the conditions required to maintain Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium Lab time *Lab type 3 S 2 V 2 S
Laboratories Whole Plant Transpiration (9) (week long data collection, with one day of data analysis) Physiology of the Circulatory System (10) Vernier Sensors Pillbugs (11) Dissolved Oxygen & Aquatic Primary Productivity (12) Vernier Sensors Macromolecule Identification Lab Gram Staining (3 day incubation period and colony observation, 1 day actual staining) Chi Square Lab - corn analysis - M&M analysis Laboratory Objectives Test the effects of environmental variables on rates of transpiration using a controlled experiment Make thin sections of stem, identify xylem and phloem cells, and relate the function of these vascular tissues to the structures of their cells Measure heart rate and blood pressure in a human volunteer Describe the effect of changing body position on heart rate and blood pressure Explain how exercise changes heart rate Determine a human's fitness index Analyze pooled cardiovascular data Discuss and explain the relationship between heart rate and temperature Describe some aspects of animal behavior, such as orientation behavior, agnostic behavior, dominance display, or mating behavior Understand the adaptiveness of the behaviors you studied Measure the effects of environmental variables on habitat selection in a controlled experiment Make a hypothesis and then evaluate the validity of that hypothesis based on collected data Measure primary productivity based on changes in dissolved oxygen in a controlled experiment Investigate the effects of changing light intensity and/or inorganic nutrient concentrations on primary productivity in a controlled experiment Determine whether specific nutrients are present in a solution of unknown composition. Perform chemical tests using substances called indicators. Students will use the gram staining method to stain bacteria that they have collected from around the school. From the analysis of the test, students will determine if the bacteria is gram positive or negative and determine the physical structures of the cell. The students will be able to determine the chance of a particular event occurring through the use of dice, ears of corn, etc. Students will be able to determine using the chi-square analysis if an event occurred by chance. Students will be able to complete the chi-square test using Excel. Lab time *Lab type 2 S
Laboratories Plant Structure Identification Lab Laboratory Objectives Identify plant structures ranging from alternative root systems, root internal structures and cells, alternative stem systems, stem structures and cell, primary and secondary growth structures, leaf systems, internal leaf structures and cells. Understand the adaptiveness of plant structures for survival Lab time *Lab type *Lab Type: S = student conducted or V = Virtual (Computer Simulation) Lab time (number of 50 minute periods) = # of class days ++After school requirements: there will be an after school requirement for students to complete the following labs: gel electrophoresis, photosynthesis, and cellular respiration